章 32: The Easiest Woman in All of Chaldea
"EX...calibur!!!"
With the Command Spell enhancing her power, Artoria raised the holy sword in her hands and unleashed the Sword of Promised Victory, clashing against Mordred's father-slaying Noble Phantasm.
A golden beam of light surged forth from the descending slash, instantly engulfing everything within several kilometers.
Flames spiraled upward and exploded into a massive cross-shaped burst of light in the air.
The Servants Jeanne Alter had brought with her were annihilated in an instant, their presence erased without so much as a scream.
Only Mordred managed to hold her ground.
The two knights stood over a hundred meters apart, each gripping their swords tightly, their powers locked in a fierce struggle.
On one side was a crimson energy beam; on the other, the radiant golden light of Excalibur.
"This world's battles are so flashy and cool. Amazing," Formidable marveled as she sat on Strike Freedom's shoulder, watching the scene unfold with awe.
When the ship girls fought the Sirens, most battles were little more than exchanges of carrier-based aircraft and naval bombardments.
Victory depended on who had the bigger caliber and denser firepower.
But battles in the Nasuverse? Those were something else entirely.
Every Noble Phantasm was unique and wildly different in design.
Some were too weak to even break through defenses, while others were devastating enough to rival super-heavy-caliber naval artillery or the carpet-bombing strikes of carrier ship girls.
And they all looked so interesting—beams of light, summoned stakes, transformations… even Jeanne had one that could self-destruct!
It was much more exciting than the long-range naval shelling they were used to.
"But it seems like the King of Knights is stronger than this Mordred character," Richelieu observed, her eyes fixed on the spectacle.
"Excalibur is an Anti-Fortress Noble Phantasm. Mordred's sword, Clarent Blood Arthur, is Anti-Army. Of course the Sword of Promised Victory is stronger," Setsuna explained after a moment of thought.
"That said, Mordred's Noble Phantasm has a special advantage against Artoria—it's specifically designed to screw over her father. It's practically tailor-made to counter her."
"I'd better give her a buff," he muttered.
With that, Setsuna closed his eyes to concentrate.
Activating a Command Spell felt unique, like establishing a temporary energy conduit between himself and Artoria.
Unlike Gudako's Command Spells, this connection allowed him to directly reinforce Artoria with his own power.
Boom—
A massive surge of mana flowed into Artoria's body.
Rather than feeling drained after releasing her Noble Phantasm, she found herself brimming with energy. Even multiple consecutive uses seemed entirely feasible.
"Master's mana… it's strange…"
"But… it's so strong…"
With renewed strength, the Dumbahoge King unleashed a full-powered slash.
Under the effect of the Command Spell, the Sword of Promised Victory radiated an unparalleled destructive force.
The golden beam of light swept across the battlefield like a full moon, obliterating everything in its path.
The surrounding ruins were reduced to dust, and even Orléans Castle was consumed by the blazing golden light.
"Gilles!! The Holy Grail!!!"
Jeanne Alter's eyes burned with fury as she screamed.
She watched helplessly as Artoria's Noble Phantasm reduced the castle to rubble. Naturally, the Holy Grail hidden within hadn't survived either.
A series of deafening explosions erupted from the ruins of the castle, scattering residual mana in all directions.
When it came to destroying Holy Grails, Artoria was a consummate professional.
"Ahhhhhhhhh——!!"
Mordred, unable to withstand the overwhelming power of Excalibur, disintegrated in the golden light. She had lost the "father-son duel," defeated in their one-on-one battle.
"Die!!!"
Jeanne Alter roared as she charged toward Setsuna and Strike Freedom atop her wyvern.
"We're a team of nine against one. Are you sure you want to pick a fight?" Setsuna asked, impressed by her courage.
"Shut up! Do you think a mere Master like you could be my match?!"
Jeanne Alter had resolved to go for the head of the snake, believing that taking down the Master would cripple the King of Knights.
"Sigh, does being corrupted lower one's intelligence?"
Setsuna glanced at White Jeanne, then at Jeanne Alter, and shook his head.
And then…
Jeanne Alter believed she had the upper hand.
Jeanne Alter made her move.
Jeanne Alter unleashed her Noble Phantasm, "Roar, My Fury!!"
Jeanne Alter got mobbed.
Jeanne Alter got captured.
Against four ship girls, two Servants, and one Gundam, she didn't even last a minute.
Pinned down by Richelieu and Taihou, she was dragged before Setsuna.
"Uh…"
She felt like she was seeing things.
What was going on?
Wasn't the King of Knights supposed to be their strongest fighter? Why were these people even more formidable than Servants?!
"Just kill me already."
"After all, I'm nothing but a witch born of the Holy Grail's wishes," Jeanne Alter said defiantly, lifting her chin in resignation.
"Wow, is this some kind of damsel-in-distress knight being captured by goblins trope?!"
"We're not shooting some R-rated 'Tragic Jeanne: The Defiled, Pure Saint' scene here, you know," Setsuna quipped as he studied the darkened Heroic Spirit in front of him with amusement.
Although Jeanne Alter was technically the boss of this Singularity, she wasn't the root cause of the problem.
That honor went to Caster Gilles, who had used the Holy Grail to revive her.
Before their journey, Dr. Roman had assigned them two primary tasks: destroy the Holy Grail and restore the proper timeline.
Now that Caster Gilles and the Greater Grail had both been obliterated by Excalibur, the mission was essentially complete.
"..."
"What do you want, then?"
Jeanne Alter stared directly at him, her golden eyes unwavering.
"Why don't you join us? After all, you were summoned here through a wish. You don't actually have a place in the Throne of Heroes."
"When you disappear, you might vanish forever."
"I'm building up a squad of Heroic Spirits. If you join now, you can enjoy the perks of being an early member."
Setsuna extended an invitation to Jeanne Alter.
"Hah? Are you stupid? No way in hell!"
"You're not even a magus! How could I possibly acknowledge someone like you as my Master?!"
"What's more, my mana comes from the Holy Grail. Now that it's been destroyed, I'll naturally fade away as well."
From an outsider's perspective, Jeanne Alter's body was indeed beginning to fade, gradually becoming translucent.
The Holy Grail that had given her life was gone, leaving her without a source of mana to sustain her existence.
"Give me your hand," Setsuna said, grabbing Jeanne Alter's hand and channeling an unfamiliar power into her.
It was a force entirely different from mana—an energy system from another world.
But undeniably, the effect was similar: her fading began to slow, if only for a moment.
"Y-you?!"
Jeanne Alter's eyes widened in shock.
"Ah, forget it, forget it. If you're not willing, that's fine. After all, the original Jeanne is right here, and she's probably way stronger than you," Setsuna said, pretending to regret his decision as he pulled White Jeanne closer.
"From now on, you'll lead the Heroic Spirit squad, and we'll go save the world together," he said to White Jeanne.
"Eh?"
White Jeanne blinked, utterly confused.
"WHAT?! Who do you think is stronger than who?! I'll have you know you'll regret this!!"
"Listen up! Whether it's in hell or anywhere else, I'll follow you! You'd better be ready for that!!!"
Jeanne Alter burst into a furious fit and slapped a contract down onto Setsuna's face.
"..."
Everyone exchanged stunned looks, while Setsuna nodded approvingly.
"As expected, she really is the easiest woman in all of Chaldea. Tsundere, chunibyo, and adorably dumb."
A few minutes later.
Dr. Roman's holographic interface popped up in midair.
"Hello?! What's going on?! Did you finish the mission already?!"
"I just checked from Chaldeas, and the issue with this Singularity has been resolved. How did you manage that?!"
He did a quick calculation in his head—the team had practically speedrun this mission.
"King of Knights smashed the Grail," Setsuna replied with a completely deadpan expression.
"The King of Knights? Where'd you get the King of Knights? You're telling me you summoned a Servant from England?"
Dr. Roman was utterly baffled.
"Ah, whatever. Solving the Singularity is what matters…"
"When are you planning to return? I can prepare the Rayshift for you at any time."
"No need. I'll open a portal myself when the time comes," Setsuna replied after some thought.
If he initiated a Rayshift now, the Heroic Spirits he had recruited would likely remain stuck in this world.
There were only a few days left before his cooldown period ended—waiting a bit longer wouldn't hurt.
"Alright then. Thank you for your help. I'll be here at Chaldea awaiting your triumphant return."
"Also, the items you requested have been prepared. I hope we'll have more opportunities to work together in the future."
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